Describes a study which investigated plans of Association of Research Libraries members in New England for total automated library systems, whether compatibility of microcomputers with existing or proposed equipment is a factor in microcomputer selection, plans for microcomputer use, and how appropriate microcomputer tasks are identified and…

This report summarizes research undertaken at the Sterling C. Evans Library, Texas A & M University to assess the impact that end user information retrieval systems may have on library staff and users. Two systems, BRS/After Dark and Search Helper, were made available in the library for end user searching at no cost. A total of 260 users…

This collection of library documents which provide instructions for users of online public access catalogs in member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) contains: (1) a set of enhanced instructions for library users of Geac, a commercial online circulation system at the University of Arizona; (2) sets of materials of…

This research is concerned with the pragmatic performance characteristics of competing information technologies (ITs) and services in the university research center, as measured by user demand and choice. Technologies and services studied include: (1) mediated search service operating at cost recovery, open to all; (2) end-user service collecting…

To investigate the experience of American and Canadian university libraries with remote access catalogs, self-administered questionnaires were sent to the 137 directors of all Association of Research Libraries (ARL) libraries and all libraries of Canadian degree-granting institutions. The study was designed to: (1) survey Canadian and U.S.…

The Library Catalog Cost Model described in this report was developed to assist each of the 72 individual libraries participating in the project to compare the costs of alternative future forms of the catalog, emphasizing the costs of implementing AACR 2 (Anglo American Cataloging Rules 2). Inputs characterizing their costs and modes of operation…

This research project focuses on the implementation and testing of the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system as an online searcher's tool for subject access, browsing, and display in an online catalog. The research project comprises 12 activities. The three interim reports in this document cover the first seven of these activities: (1) obtain…

This study examines the use of online bibliographic retrieval systems in a selected number of science and technology libraries chosen for their leadership reputation; it is limited to the use of online systems operated by a library staff member. Participating libraries included 12 academic, one government, and 10 research or institutional…

Describes three areas of concern common to most major research libraries--storage requirements, preservation of library collections, and remote access to library resources--that are adaptable to current developments in computer-based information delivery. Data on University of California's nine-campus library system is cited. Eleven sources are…

This description of the development of an academic research library in Los Angeles includes a brief history of the University of California, and discusses university librarians, library buildings, special collections, automation, and cooperative programs. (EJS)

Describes a project that was designed to study the effectiveness and efficiency of editing procedures within an online bibliographic system at a large research university library. A comprehensive statistical overview of editing commands available is presented, frequency of their use is studied, and questions for further research are suggested.…

This publication reporting the responses of 92 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) members to an automation inventory survey conducted in March 1985 was generated from a database developed by ARL to provide timely, comparable information about the extent and nature of automation within the ARL library community. Among operational systems, the…

This document contains the principal papers from a 1981 symposium held to celebrate the completion of the 754-volume National Union Catalog, Pre-1956 Imprints. Papers by both those who use the National Union Catalog (NUC) and those who developed it are included. A brief preface describes the mission of the Center for the Book and the purpose of…

This report describes a survey conducted by the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) in which a questionnaire was sent to 101 research libraries in order to determine what their policies and practices were with respect to the promotion of user-access to online computerized bibliographic database services. Sixty usable responses were…

Preliminary reports from seven Association of Research Library (ARL) members conducting research on current public services concerns describe progress to date and initial findings. Research grants of up to $4,000 were provided for the projects, which were selected in part because of their potential usefulness to academic and research libraries.…